Tag: yorkshire

Property News – All The Latest Updates

Hi guys and welcome to another fortnightly edition of our property news round-up. As usual we take a look at an array of stories from the property industry, today we look at Yorkshire and the Northern Powerhouse to looking at some Christmas decorated homes (just don’t let Dave come round and put your decorations up – you’ll see why!), if you’ve been extremely busy like ourselves, they’ll hopefully give you some inspiration for when you do finally get round to putting your Christmas lights up!

Yorkshire Earns Its Place In The Northern Powerhouse

In the past year the north of England has had a 30 per cent increase in construction and whilst Manchester and both Liverpool dominate, Yorkshire and Humberside are catching up with their north western rivals.

George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse vision to give major northern cities their very own powers when it comes to planning, housing, transport, and policing, deals have already been discussed and agreed upon for Greater Manchester, Sheffield, and the North East.

However, when it comes to property, many analysts have stated that Yorkshire property growth is linked to simply supplying the housing that people want. Government schemes such as Help To Buy is one major factor that is helping to flourish “Gods Own County” when it comes to property, particularly for families who are starting out.

The county has definitely attracted people from the south, particularly from the capital, end of the day it’s no secret that you get more for your money up north compared with what you would get in the south. As the Examinermention, the cash you part with for a two-bedroom flat in west London would get you a 10 bedroom, Grade II listed, detached house with three acres of land in Lindley, Huddersfield.

In addition, the vibrant and beautiful Yorkshire countryside and huge investment opportunities in retail, technology, and research plus its rich culture (which we mentioned about in a previous blog post).

With all these factors you can see why Yorkshire has become a crowded marketplace as it continues to compete with Manchester and Liverpool and this one reason why we have had quite a few projects in the region. If you are interested in Yorkshire, feel free to download our South Yorkshire guide.

Top Of The League – Manchester A Top Choice For Investors

Since 2010 no other place in the country has generated higher yields for property investors than the north-west city. (Select Property, December 2015).

Investors have gained annual average returns of 6.02%, compared to just 4.79% in London according to data which was generated from lending firm LendInvest.

2015 has been a great year for the city as it has cemented its place as the Northern Powerhouse leader to being named as the UK’s number one city for property investment by HSBC.

Last month a survey which was conducted by accounting firm RSM found that the north-west is the second highest UK region for overseas investment. With a vast amount of investment being poured into the Northern Powerhouse leader as well as having a huge demand for rented spaces, investors have been quick to snap up assets in the city ahead of a predicted growth curve.

Is The London Property Market Going To Crash?

So what’s happening in the capital? To cut a long story short there’s simply too much supply and not enough demand. According to The Independent, in the last financial quarter alone, 6,000 new apartments were finished, each costing more than £600,000. Currently there are 41,000 homes and flats under construction or being topped out in London priced at north of £1m.

People without children want to live in apartments, these include the first buyers, buy-to-let investors, and people who’s main home is not in the capital. First-time buyers are therefore being prices out as they simply can’t afford a mortgage or afford to pay a deposit on a house.

In addition, foreign purchases from wealthy Russians and Chinese buyers has started to trickle. Vladimir Putin has put a crackdown on Russian citizens that hold cash overseas meaning that there has been less Russian buyers in London recently. Moving further east, China is also having a corruption purge as mentioned in The Independent.

So what does this all mean for the London property market? According to one property expert, it will take just one single developer not to sell, won’t be able to cover costs, and that’s when the crack will start to happen. He mentions that will be enough to send shockwaves through the market, and bring prices crashing down.

Are you looking for an alternative? If so, we recommend reading our crowdfunding process page to see if property crowdfunding is right for you.

Average Property Price Increases to £20,000 in 2015

Figures from Rightmove show that the average selling price for a home in December was £289,452, an increase of around £20,000 from the average house price a year ago. (Which, December, 2015).

The property portal mentioned that the seasonal 1.1% dip in property prices this month is the lowest December fall they have seen since 2006.

They have predicted that prices will reach new records next year and expects new seller asking prices to rise by 6% as the demand in excess of suitable supply continues.

As a result of prices remaining high in London, highly-skilled workers may look for other options and move to more affordable cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Leeds.

Decorated Christmas Homes – Let it Glow Let it Glow Let it Glow!

If you’re like me and leave your Christmas decorations to the last minute and if you are a big fan of Christmas lights you might want to take a look at some of the most Christmas decorated homes in the UK.

If you’re looking at decking up your front with fairy lights we think the 9th example is quite a good one to go for. If you like to go nuts with your lights and Christmas decorations how about the first example?

We’d love to see your creativity, feel free to tweet us your decorated home @TheHouseCrowd.

I hope you can do a better job than me! This is what it would look like if I was left in charge…

What Are Your Thoughts?

Which of our chosen property stories has interested you the most? We would love to hear from you, feel free to leave us a comment on our Facebook and Google Plus pages. If you prefer to tweet us, tweet @TheHouseCrowd.

In the meantime if you want to know more about Property Crowdfunding do register for our Information Pack which will tell you all about it.

Property News: All The Latest Updates

Hi guys and welcome to our fortnightly property news edition, today we look at an array of news items from the domestic market from the average home in Britain will cost over a £1 million to looking at the strangest estate agent photos ever taken! In the last property news blog post in our quiz we asked asked about what is all the property in the world worth? The answer was B $217,000,000,000,000!

Average Home In Britain To Cost Over £1 Million By 2032

According to research by the Lib Dems, the average home in Britain will increase from £290,000 to £1.017 million in 2032.

Party leader Tim Farron mentioned in The Telegraph that a child born on the day of the debate faces the prospect of paying at least a million for a home to call their own.

He stressed that relying on the “Bank of Mum and Dad” isn’t an ideal option for everyone, and as a result, it puts a monumental amount of pressure to millions of families who have worked hard and done the right thing.

The Lib Dems research revealed that the average property price in the UK will reach £650,000 within the next ten years, which is an increase of £360,000 on today’s average price.

Farron’s solution, as mentioned in The International Business Times (IBT) is that we need new garden cities, allowing councils to build housing stock, and bring thousands of empty homes back into use.

So how did the political party come to this frightening property statistic? They looked at trends from National Statistics figures showing house price inflation for the past three years. Whether you agree or disagree with their research, it remains apparent that no matter what way you look at the property situation in the UK, we have a crisis on our hands. Again, whether the 1.017 million is accurate or has been hyperbolised, we need to look atalternative ways to get us out of this property black hole.

Yorkshire Property Investment Market On The Rise

According to new research published by the national commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), investment in commercial property in Yorkshire and the Humber increased by 11% in 2015.

Their research claims that a total of £1.765bn was invested in the region in 2015, with £189m of this coming in Q4. However, Q4 saw a fall in deals completed of nearly 30%, 31 compared to 44 in 2014.

The director of agency and investment at Lambert Smith Hampton Bill Lynn told BDaily that: “Despite a reduction in Q4, the figures for Yorkshire and the Humber are nonetheless positive, with an 11% growth in 2015 as a whole. This is something that is mirrored in other regions across the country and shows the continued strength of the investment market in virtually every sector. The indication for 2016 is that supply is robust and a strong year is expected.” (BDaily, January 2016).

The demand for hotels, student accommodation and healthcare (alternative assests) seen in Yorkshire also occurred nationally and was a key driver of activity during 2015, investment also increased to £14.8bn over the year, 53% above 2014’s total.

Are you thinking about investing in property in Yorkshire? If so, why not check out our South Yorkshire guide to help you get started, click here to access.

Manchester Leads The Way As Commercial Property Investment Hits £1.2bn

Leading commercial property information provider CoStar Group research shows that a total £67.5 bn was invested in UK commercial property last year, making it the second strongest year on record and 46 per cent above the 10-year average.

Manchester as we know has been centred around the Northern Powerhouse concept and in addition it was the first city to receive ‘City Deal’ funding and regional devolution.

Being centred around the Northern Powerhouse and having a demand in office space has made Manchester a very lucrative place for investors. As a result, investment in commercial property in the city hit a total of £1.2bn in 2015, a three per cent increase on the £992m recorded in 2014.

Manchester commercial property should continue to attract investment as many investors are looking for an alternative to London. Are you interested in property investment in Manchester? Why not check out our very own Manchester guides (North and Central).

Northern Ireland Sees Sharpest Rise In Building Of New Houses In UK

One Northern Ireland based housebuilder said 2015 had seen the biggest number of developments come up for tender since the housing crash. (Belfast Telegraph, January 2016)

However, the National House Building Council claimed that Northern Ireland’s increase came “from a relatively low base” because house-building slumped so drastically during the economic downturn.

One managing director of a property firm from Northern Ireland mentioned that they faced barriers to house-building that were not present in England. These barriers included sewer bonds, gold-plating of EU regulations and demands to upgrade underfunded infrastructure and services.

The managing director went on to say that despite these barriers they have found ways of overcoming them, in addition, one representative stated : “In general, builders are now more confident about prospects for house-building and this optimism is shared by potential buyers.” (Belfast Telegraph, January 2016)

Richard Ramsey, the Ulster Bank chief economist said the house-building recovery in Northern Ireland still has a very long way to go, though picking-up from the downturn was welcome news.

What Are Your Thoughts?

Which of our chosen property stories has interested you the most? We would love to hear from you, feel free to leave us a comment on our Facebook and Google Plus pages. If you prefer to tweet us, tweet @TheHouseCrowd.

In the meantime if you want to know more about Property Crowdfunding do register for our Information Pack which will tell you all about it.

Property News – All The Latest Updates

Hi guys and welcome to our fortnightly property news round-up. Not only has it been a busy week in our office here in Hale with a vast amount of projects that we have undertaken, but it has also been a busy couple of weeks in the property world from more talk in the press about the Northern Powerhouse to property shortages driving up prices.

A Brief Insight Into The Northern Powerhouse

We’ve all heard about the Northern Powerhouse a term that we have heard a lot of in the property industry in particular.

Manchester has a high level of demand from the likes of both students and working professionals and having a buoyant rental market has definitely contributed to its success so far.

On the other side of the Pennines, in Sheffield and the Humber Region they have seen investor numbers increase as more people leave southern cities such as London and Cambridge because of a low property stock and rocketing prices. Like Manchester, Yorkshire appeals to many who are looking to relocate. If you are one of those people and are looking for an alternative we recommend reading our Manchester guides (North and Central) and also our South Yorkshire guide.

It seems that a major factor for the Northern Powerhouse to progress is down to infrastructure. It’s fair to say that investing in transport in Manchester has helped the city out massively; for example, the redevelopment of Victoria Station will allow 700 more trains a day through the city by 2019. In addition, Manchester Airport’s first direct flight to mainland China was announced during China’s Prime Minister Xi Jinping visited last month and also comes after a £1 billion expansion plan.

Transport infrastructure is without a doubt going to be a game changer for the city and its future, one source who works in the property industry has stressed that for Manchester to be in the centre of the Northern Powerhouse it needs houses that are worthy of that position.

Image source and access to the full article click here

Culture Club : Living Near A UNESCO Site, A Yorkshire Case Study

Staying in the north for our next property story, did you know that living near a UNESCO can command a premium of almost £80,000 (You do now!) and those living in “God’s Own County” and are near to its cultural assets can pick up a bargain.

Probably not so much if you live ‘down sarf’, properties that are near to Westminster can reach up to £1,715,292! Luckily in Yorkshire you won’t have that kind of dizzy price tag. In West Yorkshire, Saltaire, a village near to Bradford which was awarded its status as an “exceptionally complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century,” is the fourth cheapest Unesco area, with the average house price at £155,868. (Yorkshire Post, November 2015)

In addition, property close to Fountains Abbey costs under £300,000. Northern cities such as Bradford and Liverpool are appealing to many because it gives potential investors and buyers to be part of a city that has shaped not only British culture but the world over. So much so we have been involved in a project in Bradford, you can read all about our Woolston Warehouse projecthere.

Property Shortages Driving up Prices

Research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors(Rics) shows that across the UK 10% more members saw a fall in instructions by home sellers than a rise. (Guardian, November 2015). However, their research saw a rise in inquiries from would-be buyers.

Property experts have mentioned that potential sellers are being put off by high costs during the moving process and also that there are a shortage of possible places to move is another factor that is deterring people from putting their home up for sale.

In the capital where property prices rose last year, surveyors were less likely to report prices as mentioned in Rics’ research. Furthermore, they mentioned that their members in every region except London and the east Midlands had seen a pick-up in the number of sales agreed in October.

Does the current climate concern you? Are you looking for another alternative? Why not take a look at our crowdfunding process page.

First-Time Buyers Waiting For Someone To Die So They Can Get On The Property Ladder – Our Research For This Is Money

Two weeks ago in our previous property news blog post we covered a story on Hotel of Mum and Dad – A Fifth of Adults Live at Home with Parents.

Our research indicated some eye-opening results, we found out that 23 per cent of under 30s won’t become homeowners until they inherit money for a deposit. In addition, more than a third of those surveyed, 36 per cent, said they felt they would have to rent forever.

More than half of those surveyed stated that they simply couldn’t afford a deposit and blamed rising house prices and more than a third mentioned that they were not able to afford mortgage repayments.

Our very own head honcho Frazer Fearnhead mentioned in the This Is Money article that “The situation for the younger generation appears to be getting worse, and it’s concerning that so many feel resigned to the fact that they will never be able to invest in property.”

Frazer recommends that if the under-30s look beyond conventional routes to property investment they are alternative ways to make that first step onto the property ladder. One example comes from a young investor, Samuel Hucklebridge who graduated from the University of York with an economics degree who has invested in various projects with us, you can read more about him on ourcase studies page.

How Much Did This Dilapidated Shed In Peckham Sell For?

Just for a bit of fun can you have a guess how much this dilapidated shed in Peckham sold for? The run down Peckham property has been neglected for thirteen years.

The post-war shed was in such bad condition that it will have to be demolished, however, this did not put buyers off as it had quite a large number of people of were interested even though it was to be sold without planning permission and redevelopment.

The dilapidated shed was previously owned by Southwark council and comes with 0.6 acres of land.

What Are Your Thoughts?

Which of our chosen property stories has interested you the most? We would love to hear from you, feel free to leave us a comment on our Facebook and Google Plus pages. If you prefer to tweet us, tweet @TheHouseCrowd.

In the meantime if you want to know more about Property Crowdfunding do register for our Information Pack which will tell you all about it.

Did you know that the name Bradford comes from the words ‘Brad’ and ‘Ford’ meaning a broad river crossing rather than Angelina’s better half and a car manufacturer.

Once the wool capital of the world Bradford is a city of culture heritage and plenty of natural beauty that lies 8.6 miles west of Leeds.
The City Centre is subject to a major regeneration programme.
A £260 million pound transformation of the Broadway Shopping Centre by the Westfield Group was opened on 5th November 2015 and is just a short walk from our latest projects HCP153 & 154. The New Broadway is predicted to increase retail spend by 78% and footfall by 40% across Bradford City Centre upon completion.

Bradford also boasts the greenest university in the UK and attracts currently over 35,000 students. As Bradford is currently in the top 10 for graduate employment in the UK, it ensures the students will continue to contribute to the fast growing working population and diverse economy.

With an economy worth over £8.3 billion and a number of leading UK businesses headquartered in Bradford, including Yorkshire Building Society, the city is predicted to be the fifth fastest growing city outside of London.
With HCP153 filling up in a couple of days we are now launching HCP154, a similar apartment within the Woolston warehouse.

Keeping true to the history of the city those with a keen eye will notice the well known ‘Golden Fleece’ above the entrance doorway to this historical building harking back to the cities past rather than to Jason and the Argonauts which is rather disappointing for Frazer who lists it as one of his favourite films.

Here’s some of the facts about this great new project:

0.3 miles from both of Bradford City Centre Stations

1 mile from Barnsley Train Station

Close to motorways

6 miles from Leeds Bradford Airport

Just over two hours train journey from London

Recently refurbished to a high standard

You can read more about this exciting project once you have registered on our website. Once you have registered you will be able to visit our property investments page and read about all our live projects.

When people mention the word Barnsley they either think of a lamb chop or possibly the Grimethorpe colliery band from the film brassed off.
Our younger investors will probably also know the town for its music college which brought us the likes of Arctic Monkeys and The Darkness!

Whilst here at The House Crowd we of course see ourselves as being ‘down with the kids’ (have you seen Frazer’s dance moves?) we also see it more as a great investment opportunity in an area which seen a significant increase in employment especially managerial, technically skilled and professional. This rise in employment has seen Barnsley appear in 2014 in Zoopla’s top ten places with the greatest increase in property prices.

HCP152 is our latest investment opportunity to feature on the website.

This 5 bed HMO is already refurbished and rented out, located just 1 mile from Barnsley Town Centre and 1 mile from Barnsley Train Station it provides perfect accommodation for workers in the new growing industries and whilst positioned only 200m from Barnsley Hospital it’s the perfect location for hospital workers too.

The property is close to primary and secondary schools in an established residential area which also benefits from the proximity to open parks.
Being close to motorways (M62 and M1) connections to Leeds, Manchester and the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ will not be a problem.
The property has already undergone extensive work including fitted high-specification fire protection systems, upgrading electrical s, overhauled central heating system and kitchen. New UPVC windows have been installed along with new fire doors throughout. The property has then been decorated with new flooring throughout. The property also has a full high quality furniture pack, appliances, TVs and decorative items.

All in all it’s a property that brings music to our ears and hopefully strikes the right chords with our investors.
Our comprehensiveSouth Yorkshire guide gives you more information about this region.

You can read more about this exciting project by registering on our website.
Once you have registered you will be able to visit our property investments page on the website to read more about this project.

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In respect of Equity Investments, The House Crowd Limited (FRN 711355) is an appointed representative of Prosper Capital LLP (FRN 453007) ("Prosper"). Prosper is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Neither the House Crowd Limited, Prosper nor any of their affiliates or group companies provides any advice or recommendations in relation to this website. If you have any doubt about the suitability of any investment marketed by The House Crowd Limited, or you require financial advice, you should seek a personal recommendation from an appropriately qualified financial advisor that does give advice.

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